Not My Pyre (A Pearl-Centric Double Life FanFic)

Prologue: Eighteen

Pearl held it up. "I love it! Thank you, Jupiter."

"Did you hear that, Frey? She said she loves it!" Jupiter crowed.

"She hasn't seen mine yet, she might love it more!" Frey protested.

Pearl started opening Frey's gift. It was also wrapped in brown paper, but Frey had sketched little constellations on it. He'd always loved stars. She held up the thing that had been inside. It was a hoodie, identical to the one Jupiter had given her, except it was red.

"Ooh, I love it. Thanks, Frey." She smiled at the younger of the twins.

"But do you love it more?" He asked.

"I love them both equally, like I love the two of you equally," Pearl stated diplomatically.

"Come on, Pearl! You've got to like one of our presents better!" Jupiter protested. "Which one's your favourite?"

"Ah, I'm afraid that the prize for Pearl's favourite gift will probably be going to me." Apollo smirked. "So, would you follow me outside?" He gestured to the door with his arm. He only had one, since he messed up in an experiment with some explosives at seventeen.

"Ooh, now I'm excited. What could be a better gift than two brand-new sweaters?" Pearl went to the door, her little brothers and parents following her.

Apollo opened it and led them to the back of the house. There was a cardboard box sitting there, slightly open. "That's your gift."

Pearl tilted her head and knelt next to the box. As she reached to open it, a flash of white leapt out of it and knocked her over. She blinked, and realised that the flash of white was a dog. Not quite a puppy, but not quite a full grown dog.

"Oh my- Apollo! Where did you - How did you - What?" Dogs were expensive, and Apollo didn't have a very good job - not lots of work placements for a professional builder and explosives designer with only one arm.

"I found her a few weeks ago and thought of you immediately. You've always said you wanted a dog." Her brother smiled at her.

"I- Does she have a name?"

"I've been calling her Tilly." He shrugged.

"I like that." Pearl smiled.

"Can I pet her?" Frey asked, wide-eyed.

"Me too! I wanna pet her too!" Jupiter exclaimed.

"Do you know if she likes being pet, Apollo?" Pearl asked.

"She loves being pet."

"Then sure!"

Pearl's little brothers were enthusiastic in their petting of Pearl's new dog.

~*~

Tilly sat at Pearl's feet as they sat around the dinner table an hour later. Pearl loved her new dog. Apollo had also spent the time since he had found her training her, so she was well behaved.

"So, Pearl, your brothers weren't the only ones to get you a gift this year." Maria smiled at Pearl. "Your father and I arranged for a week-long trip."
"Really? What should I pack?" Pearl asked, surprised. Her family didn't have a lot of money, and it had been years since her parents had gotten her a gift.

"We did?" Her father asked. "I must have forgotten..."

It was sad to see her father like this. He had once had a perfect memory, able to remember the exact words of his employers, but had suffered a head injury on the job. He didn't know exactly what had happened, but ever since, his memory had been very faulty. He'd lost his reputation as a good hitman and had quit, and had also stopped training Pearl to follow in his footsteps, since he decided it was too dangerous, even if it was the best way to get money without a crazy-expensive education.